Sri Lanka has ordered the closure of several schools in the country's central region after heavy rains caused flooding and multiple landslides, resulting in five deaths and several injuries.
On Tuesday, 4 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Sri Lankan officials reported that the government ordered the closure of several schools in Central Province, located in the mountainous heart of the country, following heavy rains that caused flooding and multiple landslides, leading to five fatalities and three injuries.
Heavy rain over the past two days has caused damage across many parts of Sri Lanka, flooding homes, agricultural land, and roads. The government's National Disaster Management Centre reported that the mountainous areas in the central region were the most severely affected by the severe weather.
Pradeep Kodippili, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Centre, stated that so far five people have died due to landslides burying two homes in Central Province. Additionally, three people were injured and two remain missing. The storms and flooding damaged 129 houses and nearly 2,000 residents had to be evacuated.
The army and navy have mobilized troops to assist residents stranded by the floods and to help relocate them to safe areas.
This latest disaster comes as Sri Lanka continues to recover from the major damage caused by Cyclone Ditwa last November, which claimed nearly 640 lives, affected two million people, and caused estimated damages of around 4.1 billion U.S. dollars.
Central Province was the hardest hit area during Cyclone Ditwa, and the government is facing challenges in accelerating the restoration of roads, railways, and homes in this region.
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Source:cna